HYDERABAD: Google on Wednesday said it has launched an immediate investigation into allegations that fraudsters used investment apps available on its Play Store to dupe users, after Hyderabad Police named the company’s India head as a co-accused in three cyber fraud cases.Responding to the allegations, the tech giant said it had examined the matter after being alerted and found that only one of the apps mentioned in the complaints was available on the Google Play Store.“Google Play strictly prohibits all forms of deception. We investigated this issue as soon as we were alerted, and confirmed that only one app was available on the Play Store. Our reviews reveal that the app complies with Play’s financial services policy,” a Google spokesperson said to PTI .The company added that it reviews valid legal removal requests made through the appropriate legal channels and, where necessary, restricts or removes applications in accordance with local laws.The development comes after the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police named the “Head of Google in India” in three cases in which complainants alleged that they were duped by fraudsters promising high returns on investments through allegedly fake trading applications downloaded from the Play Store.According to police, the victims claimed they believed the apps were genuine because they were available on Google’s platform.Based on the complaints, police registered separate cases against the alleged fraudsters and the Google India head under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).A senior police officer had earlier told PTI that notices would be issued to Google India seeking information about the applications.In one of the complaints, the victim alleged that he was induced to transfer large sums of money through a fraudulent investment platform available on the Play Store on the promise of high returns.He claimed that the accused later refused to release his funds.The complainant alleged that Google’s failure to adequately restrict and moderate content on its platform caused him a financial loss of Rs 24.37 lakh.He sought legal action against those who cheated him, as well as against the “Head of Google in India”.In another case, a 40-year-old man alleged in a complaint filed on July 14 that fraudsters cheated him of Rs 17 lakh through a fake securities trading platform. He claimed that he was unable to withdraw his money after making the investments.According to the complaint, he had been sent a link to an app and was instructed to download it from the Google Play Store, after which he invested money as directed.The complainants further alleged that despite having app-review, content-moderation and advertisement-verification systems in place, Google failed to exercise due diligence to prevent the publication and distribution of fraudulent applications on its platform.In a third case, a 71-year-old retired government employee alleged that he was cheated of Rs 7.42 lakh through a fake trading and investment app.(With PTI inputs)
